Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki is eager to continue her run of good fortune when she returns to the court in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
The Dane has returned to world No.1 for the first time in six years following her triumph in Melbourne. Wozniacki defeated Simona Halep in the final to clinch her first grand slam title at the age of 27. This year’s Australian Open was her 43rd appearance in the main draw of a major.
“I have already been the world number one in the past,” she told AFP News.
“But now I’ve finally won a Grand Slam title and returned to the world’s top position — it’s something really special.
“It was a combination of many factors, I’ve come a long way. But the main thing is that I really enjoyed that journey
The next task for the world No.1 is this week’s St. Petersburg Open. A WTA Premier tournament that features seven top 20 players. Wozniacki has won 28 titles on the tour, but only one of these has occurred in Russia at the 2012 Kremlin Cup.
Looking ahead to the tournament, the 27-year-old is eager to continue adding to her trophy collection. Especially given the fact she leads the WTA rankings by just 250 points ahead of second place Simona Halep.
“I really want to perform well at the St Petersburg event,” she stated. “My main motivation is to win the title.
“It’s much more important for me to focus on my own condition and my personal play (than the opponent).”
Wozniacki’s first opponent will be Anastasia Potapova. A 16-year-old Russian that won the Wimbledon girls’ title back in 2016. World No.235 Potapova, who received a wildcard into the main draw, defeated Tatjana Maria in straight sets during the first round.
Since the start of the 2018 season, Wozniacki has won 11 out of 12 matches played. Her only loss occurred to Julia Goerges in the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
